Means for preventing the creeping of railroad-rails.



E L. W. KENT. MEANS FOR PREVENTING THE GREEPING 0F RAILROAD RAILS.

. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4, 1912. 1,080,067.

Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

" canton I LEONARD W. KENT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE P. 86 M. C0., 01?, CHIGAGQ, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS. a

eans ronrnnvnnrrne' masons-Erma or RAILROAD-RAILS.

To all whomz't' may concern:

Be it known-that I, LEONARD TV. KENT,

certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Preventing the Creeping of Railroad-Rails, of which the following is a full,

' clear, concise, and exact description, refer once being had tothe accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

.My invention relates to means for preventing the creeping of railroad rails, de-

vices used for this purpose being commonly known as rail anchors or anti-creepers. Such devices are provided usually with aws or clips which grip opposite sides of a rail base between them and maintain a frictional hold thereon, the remaining parts of the anti-creeper being so disposed with respect to the rail and adjacent cross-tie that the longitudinal or creeping thrust exerted a by the rail tends to increase the frictional hold of the jaws on the rail base. Inasmuch as the creeping tendency is resisted by the friction alone as distinguished from positiveengagement, the jaws usually conform closely to the cross-sectional outline of the portion of the rail base which they engage. This is done in order to provide for a suiiicient area of frictional engagement. It followsthat a rail anchor designed for a certain standard rail section would not fit a rail ofdiiferent dimensions with suflicient accuracy to render its use feasible. Accordingly it has been necessary heretofore to provide a considerable variety of rail anchors of different dimensions to' correspond to the different standard rail sections,- even when the only variation consisted in a difference in the thickness of the base flanges of the different standard rails.

The main object of my invention is to provide a rail anchor having jaws which adapt themselves to rails of different sizes of base flanges 'and maintain an effective hold thereon despite such variation in dimensions.

As contributory to carrying out the main object of the invention I have as a further object the provision of jaws which spring or yield so as to-vary the angle thereof and to increase the effective size of the opening of said jaws.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention.

Specification of Iletters .Eatent.

'view of one of the fatente'd Dec. 2, 19 153.

' Application filed November 4, 1912. Serial No. 7285318.

Figure '1 is an elevation of arail anchor in assembled position on therail, which latter is shown in partial sectional elevation. Fig.- 2 is a top plan view thereof with the rail' and adjacent cross-tie indicated in dotted outline. Fig; 3 is an elevation of the rail anchor applied to a rail'liaving abase of greater thickness and width than that shown in Fig. 1. Fig; his a perspective parts of the rail anchor. The rail anchor in the form illustrated comprises two members having wedging engagement beneath the rail base. The larger of the two members 1 is called the clip and the smaller of the two members 2 is called the mate. The clip is provided with a slot 3 which receives loosely a rib or projecting wall 4:. on the mate, the engaging walls be; ing arranged somewhat diagonally as shown in Fig. 2, whereby when the mate is moved toward the tie, it will also be drawn toward the right as in said figure. The clip is provided with a rail engaging jaw 5 and the mate is provided with a similar jaw 5. Such jaws are suitably reinforced by flanges 7 and 8. The lower engaging surface of each jaw is substantially fiat and is adapted to bear directly against the rail base, as shown in Fig. 1. The upper engaging surface of each jaw is arranged preferably ina pluralityof planes. In the form illustrated there are two plane surfaces 9 and 10 which meet at an angle, although I do not limit myself to this number. \Vhen the rail anchor is assembled, as shown in Fig. 1, on a rail of certain standard dimensions, the surfaces 9, 9 engage the upper side of the base when the mate is driven into firm wedging engagement withthe clip. with the parts in this position, forward movementof the rail anchor and particularly of the clip is prevented by the tie, which is engaged by the downwardly extending flange or tongue 11. hen the rail anchor is applied to a rail base of greater width and thickness, as in Fig. 3 for example, said jaws spring sufficiently to permit the upper side of the rail base to he engaged by the Hat surfaces 10, 10, the surfaces 9, 9 being sprung out of engagement therewith. Thi" engagement is secured simply by driving the mate into the clip until it is tight. The anticreeper is made preferably of malleable iron, steel or other material which permits of distortion, wit-hii'acertain limits, without of frictional engagement in each case is sufficient to prevent creeping.

In general, I desire to have it understood that the invention is not limited. to the de- -.tails of construction described and illustrated, as various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.

\Vhat I claim is 1. A rail anchor having jaws which adapt themselves to rails having base flanges of difi'erent dimensions, said jaws each having an upper and lower engaging surface, the

former being arranged in different planes.

2. An anti-creeping device comprising a clip and a mate each having a jaw adapted to receive one side of a rail base, said clip having in its upper face beneath the rail base a slot with a diagonally arranged wall, said mate having a rib adapted to be received within said slot and to engage said wall, said jaws each having an upper and lower engaging surface one of whichfis arranged in different planes whereby said jaws may adapt themselves to different standard sizes of rail bases.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribemy name this 26th day of October, A. D.

LEONARD XV. KENT.

Witnesses:

C. O. SHEPHERD, PHILIP V. Moons. 

